4. Mar. 21 — @ Houston Rockets
The Suns are probably most familiar with the “Fear the Beard” slogan for James Harden, mostly because James Harden has torched them like few other teams in the NBA this season. True enough, Harden is slaying most everyone these days as an MVP candidate/black reincarnation of King Leonidas, but his last two meetings with the Suns at US Airways Center have not been kind.
In the first one, Harden dropped 33 points and a game-winner. In the next one, he dropped 40 in a near triple-double, including 20 fourth quarter points. The Suns have been in every loss to Houston this season, losing those three games by a combined 16 points.
In Texas, the Suns will need to pick up a critical road win against an MVP candidate who loves to destroy the team of the city where he went to college. On the first night of a back-to-back (with the second night being a home game against the Dallas Mavericks), the Suns need to bring their A-game heading into a manageable four-game homestand.
Next: Another High-Octane Rematch